Heroes Of GlenoirPrequels
by Coroxn
Summary: Markus and Glenn are two souls, cursed to be monsters. Cara is a young heroin, with a destiny thrust upon her. Erika is a street thief destined for more. Evaire is a rich girl, Henry is a war torn hero and Zed is an arrogant wizard. Destiny is cruel.
1. Reference

Hello, my name is Coroxn. My friend and I shall be writing a story unlike any other. Basically, it's a story of our different groups of adventurers...well, adventuring, and saving the world of Glenoir. If you don't know, that's Runescape. So, this friend and I (who I shall link to when their work is uploaded) each have our own people, who will be largely independent of each other, but will meet up to tackle common problems occasionally.


	2. Cara:Slay

Deep breathes pulsed through her, she felt as if she were being choked. This was the stuff of nightmares, this didn't happen in real life. Nothing like this really existed. Everyone knew that. Everyone knew that.

Everyone was wrong.

Strong, cold hands gripped the back of her head, and she tried to wriggle free. The hands slipped through her soft hair, and she tried to run. But in the darkness of the moonless night, she could not see anything. She slipped in the filth of the town street, and banged off a stone wall. A powerful hand gripped her shoulder, sharp nails biting into her skin. Another marble hand gripped the roots of her hair, and tugged backwards sharply. There, swimming in the darkness, were two red, cold eyes, staring into her own with a look of hunger...

"You look tasty" said it, with a voice like honey mixed with oil. "I'm going to enjoy making you squirm"

"Hey!" called a voice, again, female, like hope cutting through the night. "You want something to sink your teeth into? Come get me"

All at once it dropped her, and she fell in a heap, sobbing. She picked herself up and ran, as far away as she could, not thinking of anything but fleeing. The Vampire gazed at this new girl. In the night, he could see her slender shoulders clearly, distinguish the blond hair from the topaz eyes. She looked...kind of pretty, it supposed, though it no longer gave much thought to such did give thought to the wooden stake at her belt, and to the holy water, there was even a Crucifix-this girl was no rookie. She looked at it with such...determination. Not a hint of fear. This was a strange one indeed.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Come on, come on, do I look like I've got time to just stand around?"

"As you wishhhhh" it slithered, and with a guttul snarl, it charged. It through a fist, like an arrow, aimed right for her pretty face. This was a fist that broke bone. This time, however, it was fated not to meet the mark. As it flew, she grabbed it and twisted it behind it's owners back. It tried to pull away, but she pulled the arm up, and the Vampire cried out in pain, and stopped. She ran, shoving the creature ahead of her. It smashed into the wall, full-force. She pulled it away, then smashed it in again, pulled it away, and yet again smashed it into the cold brick.

It wasn't until the fourth thrust that it twisted, and she toppled into the wall. Before she fell, it grabbed her throat and slammed it's fist into her face. She flew backwards, but rolled onto her feet, and adapted a fighting stance. The Vampire roared, and came at her. She ducked, quickly, and spun, her leg crashing into the creature and sweeping it's legs out from underneath it. The Vampire fell on it's back, and from her belt she took out a wooden stake. She surged forward, planted her knees on it's cheast, and stabbed it in the heart.

Flame surged outward, and the vampire rippled out in wave of ash. Placing the wooden implement by her belt, she blew the hair from her eyes. "I am Cara, the Godslayer. And you have not survived me".


	3. Cara:Slayer

In the darkness of the Varrock sewers, there are many dangers. Giant spiders are among the lesser of these. They are huge, slightly bigger than a dog, and blood red in color. They deliver a fatal poison, that does not kill it's victims. The poison does end their conscious life, their brain dies. However, the motor functions remain intact, controlled by the Giant Red Spider eggs injected with the poison. Anyone tainted, becomes a zombie, a vessel for the Baby Red Spiders. Only once the babies outgrow the body, can it die in piece.

There is danger, of course, in these Zombies, which claw, and bite, run and hunt like an animal. They can kill efficiently, with blows that knock heads off shoulders. Mostly, however, they break rips, tear faces open, reduce people too a bloody pulp, and, still living, feast on them. They are repulsive, ugly, deadly, and deteriorating (the rot still sets in without the heart and blood, so many of the zombies have limbs missing, ribs sticking out, some are even headless-but they are all no less deadly). They are all of these things, and more. But they are not the worst in the sewers.

The worst would be vampires. They hide in the sewers, where the deadly sunlight cannot reach them. The dangers here are of little threat to them, with their metaphysical strength and unnatural agility and speed. They hold up there by day, and hunt by night. If any an adventurer were to go down there, they would be at constant risk of vampire attack. They can't all be Count Draynor's, holed up in fancy mansions.

Cara was no mere adventurer, but she was still a target. She knew this of course, and she knew that the creatures, especially the spiders, would take advantage of her lack of armour. Cara didn't really need armor, though, it would have slowed her down. She was unhappy enough with the weight of the the light steel sword by her side, armour would have been absolutely ridiculous. Besides, with her stake, dagger, bottle of holy water, crucifix and bulbs of garlic, she felt well armed.

So she walked down the dark sewer tunnel, with no light but the faint glowing of the torches on the shadowy walls. She tensed slightly when she saw her first Zombie of this night, running for her. It's face had half rotted away, it's left arm was gone from below the elbow. It wore no clothes, except for some rotted rags, and it's flesh had been stripped away with age. It was a walking corpse.

It aimed a swipe at her face, but she rolled underneath the blow. She spun around, grabbed the spine through the rotting flesh, moved her hips, twisted the spine horribly and then twisted herself, flipping the Zombie over her and knocking every single vertebrae out of place.

Thus incapacitated, Cara moved on. Step by step, the stench of rotting corpses grew stronger, and she knew that someone else was with her. Another human, recently deceased, zombies ripping his flesh from his bones. The lights were not lit at this part of the tunnel, though Cara could see the torches were lit further down. There were ten, twelve zombies, in a small circle, completely focuses on the feed. Cara would give them something else to think about.

* * *

><p>Cara was a Godslayer, an ancient being created to destroy the demons that plagued humanity. When one dies, another is born, Cara was a slayer all her life. She was stronger, she was faster, she had instinct. She never trained, but she knew how to fight so well. She was built for it.<p>

She snatched a torch from a wall, and ran along the tunnel. The flame showed her the sickening details of the zombie feast. A wave of revulsion shot over her, and then a wave of rage: these were sick, sick things. She launched the flame into the center of their circle, and one caught fire. One of the ways to kill these creatures was fire, it was a horrific weakness. As the fire burned, it spread, until all were on fire. The death cries of zombies echoed down the tunnels. Damn. More would come as they heard them.

Sure enough, she could already them running at her, their footsteps echoing into her perceptive ears. One came at her, head lolled back in an achingly dead way, and she grabbed it's arm, twisted, lifted it up off the air and slammed into another. As another ran, she thrusted her fist it's chest. More came, deranged, ravenous, and she delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to knock them off their feet. She heard a snarl somewhere to here left, pulled back her fist and slammed it into the zombie's head. The skull cracked, and the creature fell. Cara ran on.

Three zombie's were waiting for her. Cara shouldered past, running on ahead, but was grabbed by a zombie. It came at her, teeth aimed at her face. She slammed her fist into it's head, and kneed it in the ribs. It's grip slackened, and she twisted out of range and tripped it, before running on.

Their footsteps thundered down the tunnel, furiously loud. Every zombie in the tunnel must have heard her by now. Powerful hands grabbed her and pinned her to a wall, while the deathly stench of zombie breath overpowered her. Cara headbutted the zombie in the head, hooked her right foot around it's left, and gave it another headbutt. It fell off her, and she ran on, straight into another one. She swung her shoulder onto it, knocking it off. She kept running.

Four zombies barred her way. Cara slid her gloved hands through a rotting chest and pulled out a rib, which she drove through the zombie's head. She kicked another one, which fell, knocking the one behind it, and she barged past the one wearing it's ribcage through it's brain. She sprinted on, drawing her blade and tossing it ahead of her, where it struck the zombie that was on it's way towards her. She collected the blade as the creature fell. Cara came to a fork in the road, and blindly chose left. She came by a zombie, and decapitated it with a single stroke. And suddenly, she stepping through air, falling into blackness.

Her fingers found a ledge, and she gripped it. It was a pipe. She pressed her toes against the wall, sheathed her blade, and gripped the ledge with two hands. A deafening groaning filled the air. She shimmied across the pipe, using her feet to propel herself faster. Her shoulder hit something hard. it was the floor of the tunnel. She pulled herself up, and took a nearby torch for light. She saw what she had just traversed. There was a massive gap in the tunnel, a cave in creating a massive hole. And hundreds of zombies had fallen in. They throbbed and moaned. They were disgusting. If Cara had slipped, and fallen in... She dropped the flame in the pit, turned and ran. She was not quick enough to avoid the screams.

There were no more zombies. The pit prevented them from getting to this point, which was probably why the Vamps chose it. Cara felt the vampires. It was a deep, rotten feeling, that came within her, around her. It was here. The slayer and her quarry are closely entangled, faiths joined, as one.

Blood was splattered on the walls, and smeared on the floor. It was the other way around with zombies. She found a corner, and her all too human ears heard the whispers of voices incredibly far away. Cara placed her back against the wall, and looked around the corner. Nothing. Nothing but another corner. Cara ran to it, and backed against it. This corner was more promising, the voices were louder.

Then it stopped. A black wall. No more. Dead end. Cara looked around, faintly panicked. The voices were clear, though the echoes made it hard to find a direction. Cara stopped, listening closely. Words, faint, came to her ears. Latin, the same words over and over. Chanting. Some sort of ritual? Raising, resurrection?

Cara looked straight up, and found her way out. Six feet above her head, here was a whole in the ceiling. Nearly impossible to see with the lack of light, there were rungs, leading up into the darkness. Cara leaped, and grabbed the bottom rung. She pulled herself up, climbing, until she found something metal blocking her path. A sewer cover?

Cara gently pushed against it, lifting it up a few inches and peeking out. In front of her, were a pair of black shoes. Beyond them, was a vampire, gnawing on a poor girl's neck. She was beyond saving.  
>"Give'r" said the owner of the shoes. The vampire reluctantly shoved her over to it. The girl stumbled into the arms of the black shoes' owner, who proceeded to rip her neck even more.<p>

Cara drew her stake, and jabbed him in the back, where his still heart lay. The creature stiffened, let out a gurgled "Engh!" before crumbling to dust. Cara pulled her self up, as the vampire's partner ran at her. She aimed high, kicking it squarely in the jaw. It stumbled backwards, and Cara left forwards, a downwards stab crumbling it to dust.

Cara surveyed her surroundings. The room was bare, a single lantern showing all. Some rafters hung above, but in the far end of the room was something of concern. A massive pit.

"What's this for?" Cara asked the dust. "Were you guarding it, before?"  
>Dust, being dust, didn't answer.<p>

* * *

><p>The chanting emanated from the pit. Cara looked down. Meters below, surrounded by a cage of candles was a Vampire. He was old, and as power increases with age, Cara knew this one needed taking care of before others. And there were others. Chanting, with runic symbols around, candles the only form of light. Candles, open flames, deadly for vampires. They wouldn't be risking this without good reason.<p>

Ascension, the ancient art of making a demon even more powerful, by killing off all the human inside it. Raising it up into a new form, a higher level of being. It makes them very dangerous. She needed to stop it. Maybe a plan could help. She'd never know. Cara was never one for plans.

The oldest vampire was in the center, about to ascend. He had a name, though Cara wouldn't leave him alive long enough to learn it. He sired two-dozen off-spring, purely for this hour. Twelve were chanting now, they were the more powerful ones, the ones he would keep alive. The other twelve were sacrifices. They thought they were protection, to stop anyone should they come in to prevent the ascension.

The ascension was ten minutes away from completion, he was ten minutes from becoming a near-impervious force of evil. Every single minute for the past hour, he was terrified of someone coming to stop him. Anxiety was crippling him. Just ten more minutes, and no one would ever be able to stop him. Imagine how he felt when Cara dropped from the ceiling, sword drawn, the bright green eyes of a Slayer staring him down.

One of the would-be protectors ran in to protect. With a single swordstroke, he was headless. It flew through the air for about three seconds, before it, and the rest of him, crumbled to dust. Another protector ran at her, and she kneed it in the stomach, before she brought it up to meet it his face and sliced his head off. And then, all at once, they swarmed upon her.

She roundhoused one in the face, before driving her heel down upon another's shoulder and slugging it in the face. Cara drew her stake and fell upon it, crumbling it to dust. She swung her foot around, taking the feet from two vamps. She staked one quickly, but the other booted her in the face. She rolled with it, got to her feet and used the momentum to decapitate another.

She stabbed one with the sword, lifting it up off the ground and slamming it into another. She let go of her blade and tossed her stake from her left hand to her right, drawing the crucifix from her belt to replace it. She bet a vampire back and forth across the face with it, before hammering it down across the head. The creature buckled and she dusted it.

Seven jumped upon her at once, a mound of vampires upon one girl. The ones on the bottom fed, or rather they would have, but each was staked until there was nothing but a pile of dust smothering her.

The vampire in the center, the one surrounded by a frame of candles, the one about to ascend, watched as she fought. The point where he had needed the twelve chanters had passed almost a minute before the Slayer had descended, but it would take seven minutes longer without them. So be it. Six minutes had already passed since she fell. Ten protectors had fallen, three chanters. The rest of them had better last, just long enough for him to ascend. Once that had happened, there was nothing she could do to stop him.

As Cara simultaneously battered a Vampire over the head with a crucifix and stabbed one in the eye, a third vampire, the weakest of the twenty-four, crept behind her. As it silently stepped up behind her with the intention of drinking from her neck, Cara swung the crucifix in front of it's face, the holy symbol burning it's way through his flesh. Cara staked him, then quickly did the same to the one still recovering from a battering.

She aimed the stake at one-eye's heart, but it grabbed her hand before she could. It gave her such a powerful punch it knocked her across the room. She lost her crucifix. The Vampires attempted to jump her before she got up, but she rose before they could strike. A series of blazing kicks crippled one, and a few seconds later it was dust.

She punched one in the face, grabbed it by the shoulders and headbutted it, then again. She punched it once more, and staked it. One came at her, axe in hand. It swung, but she grabbed the handle and twisted it from it's grip. As she kicked out the vampire's knee, she said. "Finally! One of you has the intelligence to get a weapon" as she decapitated it.

She punched another, or more tried to, as the vampire leaned back and threw her over it's hip. Cara dropped the ax as she swung her legs underneath herself and used to the momentum to toss it over her shoulder. It slammed against the ground. Hard. Another leaped at her with a flying kick, she grabbed it's foot and twisted, it spun violently before crashing against the ground. Cara bent down to stake it, but she was grabbed from behind.

She elbowed it in the face and staked it through the heart. As the dizzy vampire got up, and she staked him.

Two vampires, female and attractive, stepped in front of her. One had tried unsuccessfully to flip her earlier, one had hung back from the fight, sizing Cara up. "Hey girls, want some fun?"

"Oh yesss, pleassse" they answered together.

One aimed a kick at her head, but Cara grabbed her foot and pushed it hard, and it smacked into the other's face. Both stumbled back, and Cara leaped and kicked them both. The rose instantly, together, and charged. They both started punching, and Cara parried them both. They grabbed her throat together, lifted her up and slammed her off the ground, going down with her for maximum impact.

One turned to the other. "Sister..." she said. "Avenge me" And she turned to dust. The remaining vampire looked. Cara was holding a stake right where her sister's heart once lay. "You bit-!"

Cara slipped her feet under the chest of the vampire, and pushed her into the air. She landed a ways away, and they both arched their backs and flipped upright. "Your calling me that?" Cara asked.

"You've killed-what? Hundreds of people-how many were children?"

"And how many of us have you killed?"

"You don't count, no soul"

"Yeah...I guess. From your point of view. Which is way off the mark, I'd wager"

They ran at each other, fists raised. And as they did, the vampire in the center (you almost forgot about him, didn't you?) stopped chanting. The two vampires pinned together, and pinned to the ground, by Cara's blade, fell to dust. Ten other dust mounds flowed towards him, and they spun around him, like a cyclone, until they started to glow.

The two girls met, the stake dropped to the floor, and fists flew fast. Blows, blocks, parries, reversals, dodges, faster and faster. Their arms became blurred, and horrific cracks echoed threw the room. Someone was losing this deadly dance. And it wasn't the vampire.

Cara fell to the floor, left arm badly injured, bloody nose and aching back. The vampire hung over her, shoulder slashed, black eye. The vampire came closer, to drink. Cara scrambled backwards, her fingers glancing off a familiar weapon.

"Look what I found" sang Cara, and she shoved a crucifix into vamp's face. It snarled back, slid away. Cara rose to face it, and knocked it off it's feet with a powerful kick to the jaw. The vampire leaped to her feet, and aimed a punch at Cara's face. She grabbed it's wrist, twisted it, clearing a path for Cara's own punch, witch hit it across the jaw. With that same arm, she elbowed it in the nose.

Cara kneed it in the chest, then again, and again, and again, and she grabbed it's head and tossed it to the ground. She took the holy water from her belt, and poured it down the demon's throat. Cara knew how the vampire would writhe, how her insides would burn, how this was pain like she had never experienced. So she didn't need to make sure that she was dead.

The vampire in the center, surrounded by a frame of candles, spoke. Loudly.

"I have a been reborn! I am stronger, faster, I am immortal, I can never die! I cannot be killed!"

"Yes you can"

Cara took aim with her crucifix, and tossed it to the candle frame, and she broke through the frame. The candles fell, the vampire lit up, and became fire.

"It makes you harder to kill, doll face" Cara said, over the screaming. "But as I think you'll agree, death is still on the menu"

She turned away, walked off. Ignoring his screams. He was soulless, he had to die. And she had to leave. There was still so much to kill.


	4. Cara:Slayers

The alley was illuminated by a crescent moon, and it wasn't much to look at. One way in, surrounded by two story houses. There was no pavement, just a dirt street with a well everyone shared. Nothing special. A little girl lived in one of the houses. Louis was her name. She was wearing pyjamas, white, and had been lured outside her home by a nice man with a lolipop.

The second she stepped outside the door, it grabbed her. It lifted her off the ground and pinned her to the wall. As it leaned in to drink from her neck, a crossbow bolt flew through the air, knifing through it's arm. The creature dropped the girl, who ran inside. The vampire followed her, but bounced off the doorway. Vampires can't enter a home uninvited.

It hammered against the invisible wall, and gave it a last kick before heading off into the night. It didn't get far. A girl, dark haired and well shaped, walked to it. The creature's face became contorted, the fangs dropped. It snarled a guttal snarl. "Spooky" the girl mocked.

She kicked the knee out of the vampire, snapping it's neck with a sharp twist. She spun, dragging it by the neck, and twisted again, it spun and hit the ground with a loud smack. It tried to get up, but she pulled back her fist and gave it a bloody nose. It rolled backwards than rose, but she chopped it's throat. It stood still, stunned, while the girl planted her right foot on it's thigh, vaulting up and booting it in the jaw. She backflipped, landing gracefully as the vampire fell backward.

Cara, bored with the display, fired the crossbow. The wooden bolt flew through it's and the creature fell to dust. The girl spun to where the bolt hand flown from, looking up at Cara's rooftop vantage point.

"You stole my kill" she said.

"You were taking too long. I got bored. Now, what do you think your doing?"

The girl smiled, her perfect white teeth stretching up to her eyes. Her black hair hid part of her face.

"I'm this little thing called a slayer. I slay. I was slaying, when you stepped in"

Cara jumped down, and for a moment the world was weightless. She rolled as she hit the ground, coming up and walking to the girl. Something about her made Cara hate her. She was aggressive, more aggressive than was wise.

"Sorry honey, I don't know what misconceptions you got, but I'm the slayer"

The girl shrugged her shoulders, hung back so her slid back from her eyes. God, could Cara hate her more?

"There's only one slayer. So maybe you've killed a couple of vamps, you are not the slayer"

Yes. Cara could. The girl put her hands on Cara's shoulders, and pushed her.

"I'm Hope the vampire slayer. Your not"

Cara smiled. "Oh, well that makes sense"

She turned from Hope, and began to walk away.

"That makes sense how?"

Cara smiled. "I'm no Vampire slayer"

"Damn right!"

"Me, I'm a Godslayer. I handle all those big, apocalyptic threats to humanity, and sometimes the little things like vampires and lesser demons and goblins fall through the cracks. It's nice to know I've got someone to do the little things for me. Kind of like an assistant"

Hope's arrogant smile dropped into pure, genuine annoyance.

"You wanna say that again, Betty?"

"Betty? Is that supposed to intimidate me?"

They walked to each other, face to face.

"No, this is supposed to intimidate you"

Hope struck her across the face.

"Sorry honey, but you hit first"

Cara kicked her ankle and threw a sucker punch. Hope tried to duck, but the fist slammed into her forehead and she staggered back. Hope went in with a left-right combo, but Cara saved herself with two forearm blocks. Hope managed to get in a kick to the ribs, but as Cara doubled over, she grabbed the foot and pulled, overbalancing Hope. They both backed away from each other.

A crescent moon lit up the alley, and a surprised tramp was the only one privy to the fight. Neither of the girls knew it, but this was a popular place for brawls. The tramp had seen a lot of scraps, but not one with two girls, at least, not two girls as strong as these.

Cara came at her with a roundhouse kick, but Hope ducked and kicked out, flipping Cara through the air. She slammed onto the ground, hard. It was cold. Clouds covered the moon. Cara arced her back and flipped to her feet, as Hope delivered a crushing uppercut. Cara staggered back, and Hope came at her with a flying kick. Cara sidestepped, grabbed the leg, shifted her weight and pulled. Hope crunched into the ground, face first.

Cara moved in to disable her leg, but Hope rolled over onto her back (Cara felt a little bit of guilt as she saw the blood on her face) and placed both of her feet against Cara's stomach, launching her into the air. Cara swung her feet underneath her, landing upright.

Hope ran at her, and Cara cartwheeled past, wrapping both of her legs around Hope's neck. She twisted violently, and sent Hope somersaulting into the ground.

"We can stop, you know. You just have to admit I'm best"

Hope rose up. She looked worse for wear. Cara had to feel sorry for her. Hope probably never met an equal, let alone someone better than her. Hope was completely silent. She approached, slowly. Her fist shot out like lightning. Cara grabbed it and twisted. Hope's knees shook as she screamed.

Cara didn't see the fist coming, one second she was there, the next she was on the ground. She rolled to her feet, but Hope clasped her two hands together and swung them like a wrecking ball into Cara's jaw. She flew through the air and landed hard.

The tramp had called his friends, and a small crowd had gathered. No one cheered, as such, but they whispered odds to themselves. They backed up a bit when Cara flew to meet them. Hope ran at her and Cara cartwheeled past her, wrapping her legs around Hope's neck. But the girl at the receiving end somersaulted, Cara still attached. The Goldslayer smacked her face of the street.

Cara pushed up with her hands, swung her feet underneath her and adopted a fighting stance. She tried her own left-right combo, but Hope blocked with her elbows. She spun into Cara, elbowing her violently. Cara's nose crunched, and blood splurted into her eyes.

Hope kneed her in the stomach, and as Cara doubled over, she leaped into the air, spinning, and crushed her fist into Cara's shoulder. She dropped like a stone. She tried to get up, but two firm hands grabbed her and tossed her into a brick wall. A fist came at her, which she blocked, but her arm was grabbed. Hope somersaulted her into the ground, than yanked her arm back. Cara cried out.

"Whose best now, witch?" she said. "I don't know what kind of cushy life you've had, what sort of happy existence you've had ruined by being a Slayer, but I had nothing. Being a slayer, it's the only reason I've ever had. Without it, I'm nothing. I want it more. So I'll always win. I'll always be better"

Cara twisted violently, ignoring the pain, and elbowed Hope in the face. Her grip released, and Cara tugged free, grabbing her neck and swung her into a wall. Cara grabbed Hope's arm, pirouetted under it and twisted it behind her back.

"You are so wrong" Cara said, squeezing Hope's arm. She grunted in pain. "The slayer thing ruined my life. My mother hated me. She was terrified of me. It ruined everything I had. So I need it. I need to like it, I need to love it, I need it to mean something, or it ruined my life for nothing"

Cara pulled Hope's arm. There was a loud snap as it broke. "I'm not screwing with you any more"

She pushed Hope away. The dark haired girl stumbled into the dirt. She got up and retaliated with a roundhouse kick, that Cara caught. She drove her knee into it. It wasn't a break, but the muscle was dead. Cara dropped the foot, Hope fell back.

Cara walked past. The fight was won, the deed done. She didn't need to kill her.

Hope disagreed. "What are you doing? Finish it!"

"I don't need to. Or want to"

"Oh come one, you don't want to kill me, not even a little bit?"

Cara shook her head. Hope hated her.

"I would kill you in a heartbeat"

"And do what? Bare the weight of the world on your shoulders by yourself? Face it. Two slayers are better then one, we cover more ground, fight twice the evil. It's better for everyone"

Cara jumped, soaring through the air, grabbing the second story window ledge of a building. She braced her two feet against the stone wall and kicked up, gripping the roof. She pulled herself up, took a look at Hope, then at the night, and then she was gone.

By this stage, there was a large crowd gathered, scores of people lining up to see the fight. There was a stand where people could place money for bets. Most of the people had gone for Hope when she started winning, and didn't have enough time to change their bets before Cara made her comeback.

Hope almost cried out for them, just to help her get up. Her leg wasn't responding, her arm was definitely broken. She needed help. But her request died in her throat. She had been killing vampires since she was twelve, she had risked her life every night for as long as she could remember, she wasn't going to be cut down by some physco bitch. She was better than that.

She rolled on her side, careful to avoid putting weight on her arm, until she reached the wall. She braced her back against it, pushing with her good leg. She slid slowly up the wall, ignoring the pain her dead leg gave her. Tears were welling in her eyes, but she didn't let them out. Crying wouldn't fix anything. She braced her good arm against the wall, and, leaning heavily, lurched a little bit forward. She almost cried out with the pain.

She hopped a little way, and little way, cries of pain dying in her throat. She was stronger than this, she had to be. One of the crowd came to join her. "D'you need a hand?" he asked.

Hope shook her head. "I'm fine"

"You are not fine" the guy said. "I saw that fight, you got hit pretty bad"

"Like you care!"

"I do care"

"If you cared so much, why didn't you try to stop it, huh? How much money did you place on me? Or on her? You don't care. No one does. You can never forget that. I don't depend on anyone. I don't need you!"

The guy looked hurt. "Okay" he said simply, his voice dead. He turned his back and walked away. As he turned the alley corner, Hope tripped, and came crashing down on her broken arm. A tiny scream escaped her mouth, just quiet enough for her would be rescuer to almost hear but shrug off. Hope turned onto her good arm and lay there, broken, and utterly, utterly alone.


	5. Cara:Slayed

Cara crashed through the window, the thunderous noise hit a dozen notes inside her head. The thousand tiny shards of glass reflected her, showing a thousand different angle of the same scene: Cara, eyes cringed in pain, blood splattered across her face. The world hung, motionless in time. The moon shone bright, the stars twinkled. Cara fell.

The ground rushed up to meet her as she fell two stories down, into the cold pavement of the street. Blood covered her face, her back ached with pain, but she ignored it. She rolled to her back and looked up at the tower. Standing at the shattered window, silhouetted against the lights inside, was her attacker. He dropped off and fell like a stone.

When he landed, a shock wave rippled outwards, scattering the glass and sending Cara skidding backward. Cara arced her back and flipped to her feet, adopting a fighting stance as her attacker came at her. He was around her age, and around her fight. He had a hansom, boyish face, and didn't look all that troubled by the fact that he had just knocked this girl out of a two story window and she was back on her feet,

She aimed her right foot at his head, but his forearm went to meet it. While she was off balance, he swung his foot around. It stuck her ankle, and she fell. She rolled with the momentum and lashed her foot straight up. It struck him in the cheek, and his head snapped back. He staggered back, and she ran at him and swung her fist at him.

He grabbed the fist and flipped her over his waist. She crashed against the ground, and he took the opportunity to ask some questions.

"Why are you attacking me?"

Cara spat blood. "You're the one who threw me out the window!"

"You nearly broke my jaw!" he retaliated.

"You were killing those people!"

"No, I was saving them when you nearly broke my jaw"

"So who was killing him?" Cara asked.

"Well, I suppose he would still be in the tower"

"With the innocents?"

"With the innocents" he looked at her. "You're a real genius, you know that?"

* * *

><p>They both ran for the tower. Cara, having landed on her head rather then her feet, was a little slower. When she got to the tower door, he was already on the stairs.<p>

"Do I get a name?" she asked.

"Do I?"

"Cara"

"Riley".

He slowed when he met the first floor. When Cara caught up with him, he was standing perfectly still. Cara surveyed her surroundings. The first room of the tower of remembrance was a library; book cases were propped up against the walls, the floor was a polished marble. A girl, a huge hole in her neck, lay dead on the desk. The librarian.

"Don't move" he whispered. The whisper was enough to trigger the monster. It swooped down from the rafters. Cara wasn't looking carefully, so all she saw was a black blur, and a streak of red. Blood splattered through the air. Riley fell, grasping his throat.

Cara ran to him, but kept her eyes glued to the ceiling. In the shadows, she couldn't see it at all.

"What is it?" she asked. Riley gasped, but couldn't speak. He pulled Cara's hand, she turned to look at him. There was a big bloody tear in his throat. Cara's heart stopped a moment. And then the demon swooped. It was humanoid in shape, a little smaller than Cara. It was covered in fur, and it's arms were attached to webbed wings. It had claws on it's arms, fangs in it's mouth dropped down to the jaw. It's feet were taloned, and blood was dripping from them. Fresh blood. Riley's.

The demon swung it's feet at Cara's throat, slashing vertically. Cara hung back and the talons just grazed her neck. As it swung around, Cara punched it's back. It screamed a horrific screech as it fell to the floor. It flapped it's wings, rising into the air. Cara leaped on, wrapping her arms around it's waist and slamming it into the ground.

It clawed at her face, Cara's eyes watered as three deep cuts were scrawled into her cheek. She grabbed the arm, trying to twist it, but the creature pulled it's fist across her face, then turned with the momentum and delivering a powerful roundhouse kick. Armed with talons, it was all the more painful.

Cara ducked under the swing and kicked at the creature's remaining leg. Normally, it would have dropped like a stone, but it's wings kicked in. The creature spun, lashing out again at her neck with both legs. It swung around like a tornado, lashing out again and again, advancing on Cara.

Cara backed away, ducked underneath the blows. She tried to attack, but claws slashed at her arms and she fell back. She ducked, but the creature made it's blows lower, talon's biting into her skin. Cara leaped into the air, leg arcing into it's stomach. She spun when she hit the ground, roundhouse kicked it in the shoulders. The Creature veered back as Cara slammed her fist into it's stomach.

The Creature buckled, staggered back, and Cara swung her foot in a low arc, sweeping the creature's leg from underneath it. It crashed into the marble floor, but with a flap of it's wings, it was upright again. Cara tried the move again, but the Creature flew over her, flipped upside down and struck at her with the claws. Cara ducked under the attacks, gripped it's wrist and pulled down violently. The Creature hit the ground with a crack, but spun with the momentum like a brake dancer, spinning and twisting it's legs before hitting her with a cruel kick. All the wind left Cara's lungs as she slid backward.

The Bat flew at her, fangs biting into her neck. Cara tried to gasp, but only a squeak came out. It shoved her to the ground, not releasing her. It grabbed her arms in it's grip, so she could not push it away, and fed. Cara felt her self getting weaker as the blood left her. She tried to push her arms up, but couldn't. Their was poison in her, her limbs limp. Dark circles appeared at the edge of her vision.

All of a sudden, it was pulled from her. Riley, blood still seeping down his neck, snapped the creature's own. He punched his fist through the narrow webbing of the left wing. His hand grabbed and twisted it's right arm and ripped the webbing. He tugged the arm down, it snapped to the floor. He grabbed the back of it's head, and slammed his fist into it's face.

The Bat-creature's face caved in as the fist went through. He grabbed it's shoulder with his free hand and tossed the corpse across the room.

Riley dropped to Cara, who had a bloody tear in her neck. Riley came in close, pushing the wound on his neck against hers. His blood mingled with Cara's, counteracting the poison. Cara woke up, felt more alert. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. She woke up and threw herself at him. Her lips enclosed his, and she pushed against him. He placed a hand on her chest, and pushed her back.

Cara fell back, gasping. She breathed slowly, in out in out, letting the adrenaline fade. "How?" she asked.

Riley rubbed his fingers against the wound and showed her the blood. There wasn't a lot; he was healing fast. He smeared the blood against the floor, in elegant script, and wrote one letter: P. E followed, and then T.

"Pet?" asked Cara, confused. "What are you...?" Riley drew an arrow, pointing to the Beast.

"Pet? Then who's the master?"

Riley pointed upstairs.

"How did you...What did you do, to me?"

Riley dried to answer. All that escaped his mouth was a croak. He spat blood. He wasn't as healed as she thought.

* * *

><p>Cara walked up the stone steps slowly. There was no light up here, this master could jump out at her at any time. As she ascended, she heard footsteps. Riley was leaning against a wall downstairs, recovering. He'd be up soon, but Cara wanted to end this without him getting involved. She didn't want him hurt. But, why, again? She'd evacuate a civilian, but he'd saved her life, and then, the-<p>

The Master leaped on her, catching her off guard. He and Cara rolled down the stairs, both receiving heavy bruises. They crashed back onto the first floor, and as Riley gave a little yelp of surprise (and clutched his throat in pain) they both rose and adopted fighting stances.

He was well dressed, in a smart suit. A top hat, miraculously still on his head, and some swanky shoes topped off the ensemble. He was handsomely chiseled, his face looked warm despite the cold anger he wore. Cara couldn't care less about appearances. She ducked, spun and lashed her foot at his ankles. He leaped over the attack, used one foot to pin the foot to the ground, the other to kick her in the face.

Cara tried to pull back. But the foot remained in it's pin. It kicked her face again. Cara spluttered blood. She swung a punch that missed the mark. He grabbed her back and lifted her high above his head. He pointed his knee out, and slammed her down upon it.

Cara kicked him in the face, slipped out of his grip to avoid the knee, landing in a handstand. She pushed up with her hands, arcing to her feet. She swung her right fist. As he moved a hand to block, she pulled it back, and slammed him across the cheek with her left.

He staggered back. Cara kicked his ankle. He fell to one knee, Cara lashed out with her foot, aiming for the jaw. He leaned back, the foot slicing ferociously over his head. He rolled back and leaped to the ground, lashing his foot out at Cara. She braced her arm against the calf, blocking it.

She pulled her hand in and went to smash him with her forearm, but he grabbed her elbow and twisted, forcing her to one knee. He yanked her up and slammer her down on the floor. Cara spun on the smooth marble, lashing out with her foot, but he gripped the ankle and twisted.

He swung her around, in a wide arc, before releasing the foot. Cara slid violently against the wall. She rose, and advanced on him, anger clouding her mind. Her right arm flew, but he blocked, so she went in for a throw, but he shifted his weight and dripped her, sending her falling to the ground. She rolled and twisted, lashing out with her foot, but again he hopped over the attack.

In mid-air, he flipped in and brought down his two fists in an axe-handle upon her shoulder. She crumpled, and he twisted behind her, grasping her in a choke-hold.

"We don't have to fight. Just let me go, and I'll let you live"

Cara laughed, sprang up with her feet, vaulting over his shoulder and bringing her knees into his back. There was a crack, and he staggered forward, oddly bent. He shoved his own back into place with a light 'pop' and snarled, inhumanely.

He ran at her, snarling, and all of a sudden Cara was in the air. There was a painful blow to her stomach, and Cara gasped. He grabbed her, slammed her into the ground, and all she registered then was a series of blows.

Riley wrapped his elbow round The Master's throat and pulled him up over his own shoulders and slammed him to the floor. The Master sprang up, punching with the momentum. Riley's neck snapped back up, and he swiveled his hips, shifting his weight and bring his forehead into The Master's face.

He fell to the floor, holding his bleeding his nose. Riley kicked at The Master's head, but his foot was braced against and shoved back. As Riley's foot went behind him, his upper body veered forward; leaving him in range for a sucker punch that snapped Riley off his feet.

The Master kicked him in the stomach, he spat blood. Again. Cara rose, pulling herself up with the wall, and broke into an uneasy sprint.

"You cannot beat me!" The Master cried, as she ran at him. "Those who try..." He grabbed Riley's foot and swung him into Cara. There was a horrific crack as pain overcame them both.

"Fall"

The Master turned, hearing footsteps. A smallish man walked calmly into the room. The Bat corpse caught his attention for a moment, but only that. He had black hair, mousy, and was bespectacled. He looked unarmed, but then the Master saw he had two small crossbows by his waist.

"You are?"

"Alex. Alex Wyndem-Bond. You've seriously hurt my employer" he drew his crossbows. "Prepare to die"

The Master laughed out loud. Not the result he was hoping for. "You pompous ass!" he laughed. Alex glared, and fired.

Bolt after bolt flew through air, bouncing harmlessly off The Master's tuxedo. He didn't stop laughing, until all of Alex's bolts had been spent, they created a small carpet around The Master. Alex's hands moved to his back, where he (with some difficulty) managed to undo a strap. It fell open, and a huge crossbow fell to the floor, firing a bolt into the wall.

Alex picked it up, steadied himself, aimed, and pulled the trigger. The crossbow recoiled from the shock, bouncing in his arms, and the massive bolt sailed harmlessly to his right. The Master advanced as Alex reloaded, placing two more heavy bolts into the bow.

He fired again, but the bolt flew over the target's head. The Master walked calmly, slowly closing the distance. The crossbow recoiled for a third time, jutting into Alex's shoulder as the bolt hit the floor. Alex reloaded again, but didn't have time for the second bolt, the Master was just feet away. He raised his weapon.

It was snatched from his hands, and a powerful kick to the chest sent him sprawling. The Master fired, keeping the weapon steady. Alex rolled to avoid having his head skewered, but the bolt spiked through his chest. He gasped, and fell. The Master laughed and turned his back, walking to Riley and Cara.

The two were just starting to recover. The Master walked slowly, murder on his mind. Alex drew some runes from his pocket, mumbled some words and cast the spell. A fire ball flew, smacking into the Master and exploding furiously. The Master was sent soaring into a wall, where he crumpled and fell.

For a moment, there was silence, and then Riley and Alex ran to each other.

"You o.k?" asked Alex.

Riley ignored him. "Look at you!" he rasped.

"I'll be fine" Alex said, and he took the bolt firmly in his hand and pulled it out from his stomach. He screamed, but waved Riley off.

"D'you get it?" Riley asked.

Alex nodded, and produced a small vial from his pocket. It sparkled, a light blue.

"And this will kill him. Your sure?"

"Yes. Positive"

Alex walked into the unconscious Master. Riley stopped him. "I'll get it"

Alex shook his head. "Let me have a kill, for once" he motioned to Cara. "Fill her in"

Cara turned to Riley. "What's...who's he?"

"This is Alex" Riley explained. "He's my researcher. He tells me where the ghosties are, how to kill 'em, I'll do the wetwork. We're a team"

"And the vial?"

"Will kill this Master of ours. So, about you. You'r unbelievable"

"I'm a slayer. I kill these things too"

"Huh. How do you where they are?"

"Visions, like headaches...but with pictures. Sometimes it's just a gut feeling"

"We should team up, the three-"

Alex bent down by The Master, and was just de-corking the vial when the Master awoke. He snatched the vial from Alex's hands and kicked him in the stomach. Alex flew into the air, smacking against the wall across the room.

Riley ran at him. The Master flipped him with his free hand and kicked his back. Cara sprinted to her foe, leaping for a flying kick, but The Master ducked. Cara flew through the window, half in, half out.

The Master gazed into the vial. Alex found his crossbow beside him. The Master walked across the room, vial in hand.

"You know, there's very little of this stuff in the world"

Riley got up, and pulled Cara through the window. She was badly cut.

"It was nice of you to get me some, I'll be safe in the knowledge that there's one less around"

The two super humans ran at him. Alex hobbled to the crossbow bolts that littered the floor, and loaded one. No one paid him any attention. Cara and Riley sprinted, and when they were feet away, The Master let the vial drop. They were two far away.

Alex fired.

The bolt flew through the vial. It shattered in an explosion of blue, as the liquid inside flew outward. Some fell upon The Master, and it burned from his skin. Riley stopped running, knowing the deed was done, but Cara kept running. She aimed a kick at his head, but was too late:

The Master was already dust.

* * *

><p>In the moments that followed, there was a surprising amount of conversation. The three chatted, told each other of their tales if victory. Riley explained his heritage, he was half demon. They delved into each other's past. Riley shared things previously that only Alex had known. Riley offered to bye dinner for the three of them. Alex and Cara said yes. As the two descended the stairs, Alex made an excuse of gathering up his bolts.<p>

Around the Master's dust, he drew a chalk circle. He chanted; again and again, in a dozen different languages. The circle grew. He drew strange symbols around the circle with the chalk, symbols he'd been practicing for months. The dust began to glow.

The remains of the Master took flight, spiraling inside the circle, trying to escape. But it could not pass the circle. Alex drew the final symbol, a gate, and quickly intersected the circle with two dashes. The dust flew, and Alex opened his mouth wide. The dust clambered down Alex's mouth, and he had to close his eyes as memories overwhelmed his head.

Everyone the dust had inhabited, all their memories flowed into Alex's hand. He fell back, and felt it in his veins. Finally. He had power.


	6. Cara:Slaying

The room was full of dusty books. Cara and Riley were researching in the Varrock library. Alex was too, or, he was supposed to be. Alex knew what they were looking for, he had known for hours, and now was the time for the big reveal.

"It's Delrith!" he yelled. The librarian glared at him, shushing. "Sorry!" he whispered.

"The demon they're summoning is Delrith. They'll summon it tonight, in the Lumbridge catacombs!"

"Tonight?" Riley asked, dismayed. "We'll never make it"

Alex shook his head. "Of course we can, we'll just have to do it _magically!"_

Cara nodded. "Teleportation"

"How fast can you get the supplies?" Riley asked.

Alex smiled broadly. "There are no supplies, we can go right now"

"Then lets" said Cara. "I've heard of Delrith. I'm not sure we can beat it if it's summoned. We have to stop them"

* * *

><p>Three chalk circles surrounded Cara, Alex and Riley. There was a sword by Riley's side, a knife by Cara's, and Alex had a heavy back pack full of runes and ranged weaponry. In Riley's hands, was the spellbook.<p>

"Now" Alex began. "It's essential you toss the book to me once you've read the last word, or you'll keep the book and Cara and I will be stuck here. So go on. Say the words"

Riley stared down at the book, and began to recite words he didn't understand, powerful words that called forth ancient entities beyond mortal understanding. As he said the last word, Riley's circle began to glow, and he tossed the book to Cara.

From the outside of the circle, it looked like Riley had been squeezed into an impossibly thin beam of light, which rose high into the sky. From inside the circle, it just looked like the world went blurry, out of focus, and when it came back in the scenery had shifted to someplace else.

Cara began to recite the words. Alex took a Law Rune, and an Air Rune from his pocket, and clenched them tightly in his hand. This Law Rune had been ridiculously expensive, but at least now it was going towards a good cause. He released the magic in his hand.

Before Cara could recite the last word, the book zoomed from her hands and into Alex's. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"What are-"

Alex smiled, evilly. "We can't have you in Lumbridge, saving Riley! You'd ruin everything"

Cara rose to her feet. Alex took out ten Fire Runes, seven Air Runes, a Blood Rune and a Body Rune. Cara ran at him, but Alex clenched his fist and released the magic. A powerful surge of fire flew from Alex's hands, it swarmed over Cara, knocking her back.

She screamed in pain, unbearable heat overwhelmed here.

"You know, a Godslayer's natural immunity to magic cost me. Only the most powerful spells even affect you. And they are always quite expensive"

Cara flipped to her feet. The fire extinguished, instantly. She ran at Alex. He released the power of yet more runes, a ball of flame lighted up his hand. He held the book just centimeters away from the flame.

"Come any closer, no one gets the book, your stuck here, and Riley faces my trap alone"

She froze, thoughts whirring inside her head. Alex set the book alight, and tossed it to the air. Cara snatched the flaming book, slammed it on the ground and tried to beat out the flames with her fists. She shot a sideways glance at Alex, making sure he didn't try to run; he was stuck here with out the book too.

He was still sitting inside the circle, mouth moving lightning fast, words inciting ancient power. The circle began to glow.

"I learned those words off by heart. Maybe you should read more often" Alex threw back his head and laughed as he was compressed into a tiny beam of light, and shot up to the air. Cara threw the book away, and slumped to the ground. She was too late, it was ash.

* * *

><p>As Lumbridge came to Alex's eyes, he stood up. Riley was waiting for him, arms crossed and eyes glaring. "What took you so long!" he complained.<p>

Alex gasped, as if exhausted. Which wasn't hard. The magical backlash was catching up with him. "Cara had a vision. She needed to save them. We can do this by ourselves"

Riley was unhappy. "We should go back, help her, then bring her here. She's been a valuable asset to the team. Our success rate's shot up since she joined"

"I know, but the spell has a time limit. You can only use it once a day, and we don't have time to wait. So come on, let's go"

Riley shrugged. "K. Where to?"

"Follow me"

* * *

><p>Cara ran back into the thick of Varrock. There was a magical supplies shop here somewhere, if only she could remember where. She turned a corner, looked around, but realised she didn't even know what she was looking for. She ran to a man, and with a powerful shove, turned him around. "Magic supplies shop"<p>

He spent a moment recovering from the spin, then answered. He gave her the directions, and, without thanking him, Cara ran off.

* * *

><p>Alex turned into the graveyard, and knelt beside an ancient grave, it's headstone, little more then a decrepid wooden sign, read 'Dragith Nurn'.<p>

"Salom, lomas, molas, somal" he whispered, to the dead. There was a great rumbling from the bowels of the earth, and pyramid rose from the dirt of the grave. It rose higher, showing itself to be not a pyramid, but the roof of a stone passage. It stopped rising, and Alex stepped inside.

"Come in" he said.

Riley stepped from the outside world, and into the stairs. The two descended in silence, and in darkness, until Alex lit up a fire rune. The flame hovered inches from his skin, and he used it to light the way. The stairs ended into an open passage. The smell of dust hung in the air, and the room was too wide and too high for the light to reach the ends.

"They'll awaken Delrith through there" Alex said, pointing to a small passage. "To stop them, destroy the body that they're channeling Delrith into.

"Lets get to it"

"Not quite. Even if you destroy the catalyst, the rift between hell and earth will still be open. I'll go down the passage" he shone the light the over it. "There, kill the weaker ones that live down in the dark. I'll get the runes, and I'll meet you back up. We'll both need to seal it, my blood isn't strong enough for the whole thing, we'll need some of yours too"

"Sounds like a plan"

"All the best"

"Good look to you, too"

Alex turned his back on his friend, and descended even further into the bowels of the earth. There were no runes, nor dark wizards down here. But there would be an attempt to raise Delrith, if he had anything to say about it.

* * *

><p>The wizard stuttered, terrified. His glasses lay on the floor, broken, like the shelf, the door, and his nose. Cara slammed him against the wall. "You're not saying what I need to hear!"<p>

"Lumbridge Teleport!" he cried. His voice was distinctly nasal. "I'll get you the book right now!

"Good" Cara smiled, and let him go. The old man hobbled to a bookcase. He grabbed some runes, clenched them in his hand and released the magic. A small fire ball soared at Cara. She deflected it with a fist.

"Slayer" she said, annoyed. "Immune to magic. But you aren't immune to my fists" Cara walked to him, hands clenched. He threw a book at her. "There! There! Page two-one-nine! Please don't kill me!"

Cara took the book, and sat down. "Chalk" she demanded. The elderly wizard hobbled to a press, took out a ceremonial dagger and flung it at her head. Cara caught it and sent it flying through an expensive cabinet. "Boring. Now, the chalk?"

He tossed it to her, utterly defeated. She drew her circle, and began to recite the words.

* * *

><p>Alex descended silently down the stone steps, into a brightly lit hall. He moved as quietly as he could, knowing the three cultists would be there when he descended. Reese, Caitlin and Kayle were three Zamorakian cultists. They planned to harness Dragith Nurn's body, to raise the undead and swarm Lumbridge, by slaughtering the innocent girl, Ilona.<p>

Reese marched in front, the girl bound an in his arms. Caitlin followed, her staff buzzing with evil energy. Kayle brought up the rear, nervous and afraid. He was the weak link.

Alex knew this, because he had planted the idea in Reese's mind.

But now, that plan was no longer necessary. He had a better one, a more direct one. He drew out his mini crossbows, and fired. Kayle heard the soft twang and turned around, the two bolts embedded themselves in his skull. He fell, dead.

Caitlin spun as well, and unleashed a wind strike with her staff. Alex leaned to the side, where the gust of wind brushed harmlessly past him. His bolt caught her in the neck, she clutched her throat and fell to the floor. Reese snarled, and charged.

"You cultists are dropping like flies!" Alex laughed, and he dropped the bows. The boy drew his blade, and swung it. Alex ducked expertly under it, placed both hands on the boy's shoulder and kneed him in the stomach. Reese crumpled.

Alex drew his black hilted knife, and stabbed it down through the back of Reese's neck. The cultist fell like a tree. "The blood of the sinner" Alex whispered. The girl, Ilona, squirmed to him.

"Thank you!" she cried. "I don't know what I would have done without you, if you hadn't come-"

Alex knelt to her, and grabbed the back of her head. "What are you-?" Alex held a finger to his lips, and, in smooth motion, slit her throat.

"The blood of the innocent".

* * *

><p>Riley walked in complete darkness, and complete silence. He felt his way along the passage, and his brow was creased with worry. Where were the dark wizards, summoning Delrith? Didn't you need to see to summon a dimension destroying, all terrible, deitic demon?<p>

Did Alex get the facts wrong? No, he couldn't have. He was a genious. Riley trusted him completely.

* * *

><p>Alex ducked under the Corpse archer's arrow and fired his own bolts, which have no affect at all. He came up close, ducking under the volley of arrows, and drove his knee against it's chin. He tossed a mini crossbow into the air, grabbed an arrow and stuck it through the archer's head, catching the crossbow before it hit the ground.<p>

He fired against the warped bat, which sank like a stone. He was now in the final room, and a trail of corpses littered the rooms behind him. A corpse mage hurled a glob of magic at him, which he swerved under. He fired his crossbows, the continuous bolts forcing the decaying body back.

A corpse soldier swung his blade down on Alex, who received a nasty cut to the shoulder. He grunted in pain, and elbowed the soldier so hard it's head came off. That wasn't enough to stop it though, and it swung again. Alex grabbed the arm and snapped it, taking the blade.

He saw, just in time, the corpse mage preparing a glob of magic. Alex tossed the blade, it sliced the arm off. The limb dropped, but the magic still fired; it blew the corpse mage's legs out. Alex ducked a punch from the soldier and slipped around it, wrapping an arm round it's neck. The corpse mage hurled magic with it's good arm, and Alex sheilded himself with the soldier.

The corpse exploded violently, covering Alex in metallic smelling blood. The corpse mage readied another shot.

"Come one! You have one limb! Left!"

Alex cast a fire bolt at the mage, incinerating it. Finally. Alex walked to the last door, and kicked it in. The corpse inside spun and charged at him. It was dressed in red robes that had all but rotted away, and wore a ritual mask.

"Hey, Draggy!" Alex called. Dragith Nurn didn't slow his step. "Oh, come on, Draggy, you remember Silius?" The corpse stopped, cocked it's head, as if remembering. Alex shouted out in magic tongues, incantations that Dragith himself created. The ceiling slid open.

"Riley!" Alex called, feigning terror. He slashed his own arm with the black-handled knife, and slumped to the floor. "Now, Draggy, you kill the big boy" Riley dropped down the new hole, and saw what Alex wanted him to see: A zombie, towering over a wounded Alex.

Riley ran at Dragith, and aimed a kick at it's head. Dragith's head snapped, back, but little else happened. The dead man swung it's clawed arm at Riley, who blocked with his forearm. He wrapped the arm around Dragith's own, and snapped it by the elbow.

Dragith tried to head butt Riley, but his recently snapped neck just lolled forward. Riley kneed it's stomach, lifting it off the air and slamming it down again. He grabbed it's arm, braced his leg against the torso and ripped off the limb.

Dragith kicked Riley's leg out, but the living combatant regained his balance. Riley drew his blade, and Decapitated the dead man.

"You okay?" he asked Alex. The supposedly injured Alex nodded, seeing Dragith rise. Riley walked to him, slowly, as the headless dead man slashed at him. Riley parried with his blade and stabbed the zombie's heart.

"Wow!" Alex gasped. "Not even a scratch on you! This makes things awkward..." From his back, Alex drew his huge crossbow. He aimed it at Riley and fired, once, twice, thrice. He went down like a stone, the poisons in the bolts already taking affect.

Alex spoke rapidly, in magic tongues. As he did so, he took, twelve body runes, twelve law runes, and human hair. These items disappeared in a flash. And in their place, was a girl, who couldn't have been more then twelve. She wore a little red dress, and had long, smooth, dark hair. Riley's little sister.

The girl looked around, confused. She had been lounging around Riley's house with friends just a second ago, now she was-wherever the hell she was. Her eyes rested on Riley, three heavy bolts through him, lying on the ground.

She ran to him, but Alex grabbed her hand and pulled her back. "No, Abigale! He could explode at any second"

"Alex, what's going on? I don't understand!"

Riley tried to speak, but the toxins in him only let strange gargles escape.

"You see, Abigale" Alex said, smiling evilly. "There's this very important spell, I need to do. It's got three ingredients. The blood of the sinner, the blood of the innocent, and the blood of the hero"

"That's a lot of blood for good magic"

"Yes. Lots of blood. So, you see, we don't have the blood of the hero yet. Do you know who we should use?"

"My brother? But-but just a little cut"

"No, no Abigale. We need to use you. You are your brother's half sister, so his blood is in you"

"But, why don't you just get it from him?"

"That's just not evil enough"

He slashed her throat with the black-handled knife.

* * *

><p>Alex knelt by Dragith Nurn, and began to incantate. For the forth time this day, he incited ancient powers beyond mortal control. But he was no mere mortal. The three different bloods on the knife mingled as he spoke, and he raised then knife over the corpse of his former lackey.<p>

Cara kicked his back so hard he sllammed into the nearby wall. He rolled to his feet and swung his knife at Cara. She ducked under the swing and twisted the arm, forcing Alex to his knees. With inhuman strength that Alex shouldn't have possessed, he shouldered her into the air.

She got up quickly, the two adopted fighting stances. Cara came in with a straight punch, but Alex ducked and grabbed the arm, bracing one hand against her back he threw her into the wall. She absorbed the shock with her feet and leaped from the stone, aiming a flying kick that Alex rolled to avoid.

She aimed a right punch but Alex swept the arm aside with his left palm, he moved in with a punch that she blocked and a kick she ducked. She grabbed the foot, lifted him off the ground and slammed him into the wall.

He muttered an incantation, his black handled knife became a black hilted blade. Cara found Riley's blade by his side. Cara chopped down with the blade, Alex parried and slipped his blade under hers, slicing her arm. He came in to press the advantage but Cara swung her blade violently, sweeping his aside.

Cara's blade was now inside his guard, and she moved in for a slash, but Alex rolled back, then ran forward, coming in with a thrust that Cara sidestepped. She lashed at his head, but he parried expertly, so she ducked his swipe and slashed at his leg. He jumped, and rolled over her back expertly.

Riley grabbed his throat and slammed him against the wall.

"Oh, you'r up" Alex laughed.

Riley ignored him. "What have you done to Alex"

"I am Alex"

Riley shook his head. "Wrong answer!" he pulled Alex back and slammed him into the wall.

"I am _in_ Alex"

"Start making sense right now or I swear"

"Remember that well-dressed, handsom devil that bet the crap out of you a week ago? Well, that was me?"

"Alex killed him"

"And Alex brought me back"

"What?"

"I'm in the dust. You have to consecrate it to kill me for good"

"So, what? You possessed Alex"

"Nope. I couldn't have, not for a week. That blue stuff was lethal. No, Alex summoned me. Usually my high priests would do it for me, give me a strong young man. No one has ever done it to themselves"

"Why?"

"Well, I take them over, completely, they're powerl-"

"No, no, why did he do it?"

"Power. He saw you had it, and he envied it. He wanted to do what you could. So he gave himself the power. And lost his will"

"How do I get you out of him?"

"Oh, don't you worry. The plan was to summon Delrith into Dragith's body. That's pretty shot now, the blood's dry. So, I'll get out myself. It's boring in here"

Alex opened his mouth, and the dust spilled out. Riley and Cara ducked, covering their mouthes, but they shouldn't have worried. The dust ignored them and flew straight to the headless Dragith Nurn. With no head, it had to enter by rather unconventional means.

Dragith Nurn rose, silently. His body racked, as if he were howling, which doesn't work without a head. Cara ran at it, but it Swiped along her stomach. Tears formed in her eyes as deep cuts were sliced through her skin, the force of the blow took her off the ground.

Riley went in to attack, but Dragith kicked him to the floor. Before anyone could react, a huge ball of flame was tossed through the air, it hit the dead man and incinerating it. Alex rose, and walked to Riley.

"Oh God Riley, I'm so-"

"What! Sorry? Save it" Riley brushed past him, hard.

"Rile-"

"She's dead. She's dead and you killed her"

Cara was confused, until she spotted Abigale. She had met her just once, and hadn't taken to her much. But now, as she saw the little girl, lying, immobile on the ground, her blood on Alex's hand, hate stirred inside her too.

"It wasn't me" Alex begged. Tears were in his eyes. "You have to understand"

"I do. You didn't kill her with your own hands, but it's your fault. You wanted power so much, you didn't care what happened after"

"I did. I drew protection symbols, they just didn't work. Look, I'm not important. The best I can do, is help. I wanted to be like you, to be the hero of the show, just sometimes. I wanted to help people the way you do"

"Yeah, cause you helped a lot of people with this, didn't you?"

Riley turned around and punched Alex in the face. He dropped like a stone.

"If I ever see you again, I will kill you in an instant"

* * *

><p>Outside, in the open air, things felt a little better. A little. Riley dug the grave, in silence. It wasn't neat, or perfect, but it was the best he could do. And it was damn good. They bought a coffin in the church, and they laid her to rest. Riley cried, a little, when he said goodbye. And then they left. They'd sit by the river until night fell, and they could cast the spell again. Then they could go home.<p>

"I'm sorry, Riley"

The river was glistening in the sunset, the way it only does in story books. The river bank was dry, perfect for sitting on.

"I know"

Dark shadows of people crossing the bridge, stretched bizarrely by the angle of the stun, momentarily casting the two in darkness.

"Riley"

"I know. I see them too"

Men in cloaks were trying their best to sneak up on them. Dark wizards, black magi. Riley and Cara stood up.

"Come on!" Riley shouted. He wanted someone to vent his anger on, these were perfect. "Come on and fight!"

A dark jet of energy slammed into Cara, sending her sprawling into the river. She fought to keep her head above the water, but dark magyks shook and frothed the water, dragging her down. She saw and heard only flashes of what was going on. Riley, on the floor. "Harder! Harder" Riley, in chains. Dozens of men, dotted around him. "Come on, we don't have all day!" A dark portal. "The demon must rise soon" "Delrith will smite you for your ignorance!" Riley, gone. "To the circle, the time is at hand!"

And then the waters shook no more, and Cara was alone.


	7. The Wolf, The Night and the Mountain

The path up White Wolf Mountain was steep, almost vertical, so that Markus was climbing more than hiking. It was grueling work, and the weather wasn't helping: snow poured heavily from the sky, and it was freezing. Markus' black cloak offered him a little protection from the cold, but not much. The Wise Old Man had sent him here, to the Oracle, for information on his marked hand. Markus had had this symbol on his hand for as long as he could remember. One of his earliest memories was the Orphanage worker, Mrs-something-or-other, freaking out because she couldn't wash it off him. She literally threw him out on the streets. Markus was six at the time.

The steep path suddenly flattened, and then ended. Markus raised an eyebrow in surprise. The path lead straight into a wall of ice. He trained his eyes upward; the wall continued for several meters, and the top was hidden from view by the swirling snow. Markus wanted to shiver, but he stopped himself. He'd braved cold worse than this before, and to shiver now would be an insult to all those who hadn't survived the Varrock City winters. There was nothing for it. Markus would have to climb.

He threw himself at the wall with great fury, his thoughts now focused on the royals and wealthy nobles. They were warm, and cosy, and safe. Markus was here, risking his life, just to know what the mark on his hand was. Who his parents were. Who he was. He clenched and gritted his teeth in frustration. Life seemed desperately unfair at times. He climbed quickly, the uneven ice providing plenty of footholds.

Of course, the black mark on his hand wasn't all bad. Markus was strong and fast, and though he had had precious little food or sleep he felt well rested. And though he had never gone to school, knowledge was somehow just in him. He could read and write well enough. But the most powerful thing the mark had to offer was it's own strength. Markus could access this dark magyk at will, though it was difficult, and when he was using it...

He didn't know if it was him or the mark, but when he used it's power, he felt...good. Strong.  
>Like an animal.<p>

After ten solid minutes of hard climbing, Markus's blue fingers found the ledge, and he hauled himself up. His hood fell over his eyes, so he swung his legs up blindly. His left toe hit something metal, with a dull clang. Markus threw his head back slightly, dislodging his hood. There, standing out like a fly in milk, jumping out of the scenery because of the contrast in colors, was a knight. As white swirled all around him, he was an easy figure to fear: his armor was as black as death.

A strong metalic hand gripped the color of Markus' cloak, lifting him so high his toes no longer touched the ground. The Black Knight caught Markus' eye, though Markus could not see his from under his black visor. The Knight cocked his head, as if he were surveying Markus, and then nodded once.

The Knights grip slackened, and Markus fell to his feet. He was in a very precarius position, inches behind him was a fall that could easily kill him. The Knight stood only inches in front of him, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Markus did't quite kow what to say, so he said "What did you do that for?" and tried to sound arrogant. If he sounded arrogant here, in front of this monster, than maybe he could sound like a strong opponent. Someone you didn't want to fight.

The Knight stood perfetly still, but his lips moved from under his black helm "Hell hath no fury like a black knight". The voice was deep, black, echoing-and terrifying. And then a steel fist crashed into Markus' stomach.

The boy flew outwards, over the ice, and for a few terrifying moments he was suspended in mid-air. Then he grabbed the Knights stoic fist, swung his legs around, and using all the momentum he had, smashed his boots into the helm. The Knight's head shot upward, but he did not fall, nor did he move an inch. Markus froze, afraid. That was as strong as he could hit, and he'd never found something he couldn't brake. Before Markus touched the gorund, The Black Knight him over its black helm. Markus fell on his feet, and from within his deep black cloak, he drew two small black blades. The Knight drew his own blade, which was pure black. As dark as sin.

The Knight swung, and Markus crossed his blades and sent them out to intercept the attack. The force of the crash sent Markus to his knees. The Knight pushed his dark blade down upon the kneeling Markus, who forced his two blades to stand strong in defense. However, this Knight's strength outmatched Markus' own. Inch by inch, the blade slid closer to Markus. Our cloaked hero forced his blades against the black giant with all his strength, but it wasn't enough. To stop the blade from cleaving him in two, Markus rolled to the side, and the dark sword embedded itself in the ice.

And then Markus had a brain wave.

He rushed forward, and pushed the blade hard. At first, nothing, but then it slid sideways, still in the ice, until it's hilt nearly touched the cold marble floor. As a crack shot to the right, the Knight aimed a kick at Markus. If that boot connected, Markus' skull wouldn't end up in a recognisable condition. To evade the kick, and to further his plan, Markus pulled the blade back up straight, then pushed it down the other side. A long crack shot to the left, and now there was so little holding up the Black Knight's corner of ice.

Markus braced his legs against the Black Knight's Blade, and pushed. There was a deafening roar as the ice cracked, splintered, gave way- and the Knight's section off ice came right of, with his blade embedded in it. The block of ice slid of the mountain, and into the mist, the Black Knight roaring in frustration.. Markus just lay there, exhausted. There were plenty of questions. Who was this Knight? What was he doing here? Questions. No answers. He allowed himself a brief rest, and then pulled himself up off the cold ground, and walked on.

The wind blew harder, began to pick up snow, which had two effects; It made everything look dazzling, and it made everything bloody impossible to see. To an outside observer, it may have been comical when Markus strode straight into a second wall of ice. He groaned, from pain nd from the terrifying prospect of climbing again. A deafening roar echoed from above Markus' head. No, not a roar, a howl. Worrying. Were their wolves up here? He hoped not, but, regardless. He walked to the wall of ice, and leaped. His fingers slipped inside a crack, and he pushed up with his feet, grabbing a ledge of ice. There was a small crack in the ice, going up the wall, just big enough for Markus to slip his fingers inside and climb. The crack got bigger and bigger, until it became a chimney chute for Markus to slip inside.

The view would have been magnificent, if it were not for the snow. It was bloody freezing. His back was pressed against the ice, as were his toes. He managed to ascend like this, it took less energy then climbing. Markus's hand reached the edge of the ledge, and he pulled himself up.

From here, the mountain became a slope, not steep at all, easy to ascend. Easy.

From the depths of the snow, a werewolf leaped out at him with a guttal growl. Markus spun violently, hooking his right leg into it's jaw, sending it spinning back. It jumped on him again, but he fell to the floor, punching it in the ribs. It yelped in pain, and rolled to it's hind legs. Before it had a chance to react, Markus gave it a left-right combo to the snout. And then, he Intruded.

Markus placed his forefinger on the creature's forehead and closed his eyes. Markus felt his consciousness slip from his body and into the werewolf's, he felt the sheer brutality, the sheer primal instinct of the werewolf's mind. And he found it was superficial. It was just a shell, a cover, hiding something real. Markus slipped even further from himself, and mentally touched it. It shattered, and as it did, so did Markus' hold on it.

Suddenly, he was in his own body again, facing another young man where the werewolf had stood. They were silent for a moment, unmoving. Markus' right leg flew to his head impossibly fast, but his hands came up brace against it. Markus's foot dropped as his right fist flew, but it was parried, so he moved in with his left, which was caught.

He went in with some more fists, but none met their mark. The pre-werewolf batted an arm down with his elbow, making way for his own blow. Markus dropped to a crouched position to avoid the powerful fist, kicking out his opponents leg as he did so. The pre-wolf dropped, and Markus caught him in a strangle hold.

"Now listen, I've been having a pretty bad day. I climbed a mountain with almost no gear or equipment, and in the freezing cold. I just got attacked by a bleedin' wrecking ball, and just now, some elongated mutt jumped me. Now you're going to tell me who you are, and why, or I'll snap your neck"

"I'm Glenn. I have no control over what I do when I'm a wolf. Sorry, though. It was probably rude. As is this!"  
>Glenn slipped his hands around Markus' neck, throwing him over his shoulder. Pain distracted him long enough for Glenn to get a punch in. Markus tapped into his other side.<p>

Again he slipped, but deeper into himself this time, accessing something carnal. His two hands pushed against Glenn's stomach, and a ripple of shadows echoed from the blow. Glenn was tossed through the air. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

He ran up the mountain slope, impatience gripping him too tightly to let him walk. Markus flew up the hill, to the summit. He nearly collided with the Oracle. He skidded to a sudden halt, boots almost slipping on the cold ice.

She wore a dress of ragged brown skins, of the same color and complexion as her hair. Her skin was whiter then the ice around her. On her face, below and between the eyes, were strange red streaks. Blood? Tatoos? Her lips didn't move when she spoke.

"What is it that you seek?"

Markus was taken aback, but answered after only a moment's hesitation. "Knowledge"  
>He raised his arm, pulled back the sleeve, revealing the dark purple marks on his recently blue skin. They glowed eerily in the light.<p>

"Knowledge I have not"

"Great. Who does?"

The Oracle shook her head. "Not many, only one I know. Gypsy Aeris, in Varrock. But she is a bit busy with the wrath of the wrath. You'll need to help her first"

"Thank you"

"Leave me"

Markus buckled, and flew backwards down the slope, sliding on the ice. He slid past the rocks, and into Glenn's legs. The pre-wolf's head came rushing down to meet the ice. Crack. Markus rose, eyeing him.

"Are you going to do the thing, or can I just go?"

"Just, wait" said Glenn. "How did you, that, thing before, you made me human again? How?"

"You don't get my life story"

"Fine, fine-could you do it again?"

"Sure, it's easy?"

"Could you teach me?"

"Nah, it's a born into kind of thing"

"Well, I guess I'll be sticking with you then. Look, I just talked to the Oracle, I came up here to see if there was a way to keep the wolf inside. She said there wasn't. And then you! I'll be with you for a while, just till I find some others. There's a cure somewhere"

Markus turned around, walking to Glenn. "And why would I want a pet dog following me around?"

"I've got muscle. And it's not a choice" Glenn aimed a punch at Markus' face, but he caught the fist. Markus' boot, imbued with dark magyk, struck Glenn in the ribs, knocking him into the air and sending him crashing into the ground.

Glenn rolled back, then ran forward, coming in with a powerful kick. Markus grabbed the foot and twisted, the pre-wolf went off off balance and hit the ground. He came back up, but Markus waved him off. Glenn was a redhead, and he wore a very determined face. Behind the eyes, Markus could see a fighter. A normal kid, life ruined by something completely beyond his control.

"I'll make you a deal. I'm going to Varrock, to meet Gypsy Aeris. You get there before I clear off, I'll work at your furry little problem"

"I'm fast man, I can get to Varrock before you"

"Which way is Varrock?"

"North-East. Around.." he pointed. "There."

Markus drew his blade, channeled his darkness into it and tossed it. It flew like a bird, singing through the air.

"Whats wrong? Don't like the blade?"

"Ahh, no. You'll see"

Nearly a mile from the mountain, the blade landed, digging into the cold soil. Markus slipped through the air, and suddenly he was weightless. Glenn saw him turn to smoke, and waif through the air, drawn to his sword. Markus solidified, drew an sheathed his blade. He gave a dismissing wave to Glenn, and started running.

Glenn saw the tiny black speck that was Markus.

"Nice trick. I'll still get there before you, though"


	8. Zed:Times of Darkness

The party was good, the band played well, the food tasted superb, the company (especially the girl Zed had his lips on) was fantastic. Richard sure knew how to throw a party. Richard, more commonly known as Prince Zhad, was the son of the ruler of Asargnia. Zed had first met him in his teens; he was a promising wizard, son of the great Zedicus Azúll, the greatest wizard of all time. Zed cared little for his father, and hated being named after him. Zedicus and his son had fallen out after he had tried to forbid his son from joining the Zhad family as court mage.

They had had a heated discussion, and Zedicus had hit his son-who fled the home, never to return. Zedicus hated the Zhad family. He and Richard's father had been friends, just as their sons had been. But, they, too, had fallen out. Zedicus wasn't great at keeping friends. Wise wizards rarely are. Zed, however, was not a wise wizard. He was young, clever, brilliant-a genius!-but not wise. He would become wise, in age. But this was yet to come. Zed turned from his passionate kiss from this lovely concubine as his friend tapped his shoulder. "Come, friend" he said, gravely. "I have news that must be told"

The two left the laughter and conversation of the palace ballroom to the quiet solitude of the balcony. It overlooked the palace gardens, which looked stunning at midnight. They were well tended to, and full of life: creatures, both great and small, dangerous and timid, fast and slow, wise and stupid, ugly and beautiful, magical and not-so-magical, all were making their last sounds as they settled to sleep in their fine home, literally fit for a king. Vines crept meters up the wall, and wrapped round the banistars of the stone railing that Richard took himself to lean upon. His serious face looked so heroic with his back to the night.

"Well friend, what it is that troubles you?" said Zed, quite loudly.

Richard put a finger to his lips: "I think we are in danger. My father has had an attempt on his life!"

Zed gasped in shock. "But the guard-"

Richard interrupted: "A man attacked my father, and said he would kill him if he did not tell him the whereabouts of Zedicus Haranda Azúll"

Zed looked dark at the mention of his father. "So my father is in danger?

Richard shook his head. "My father told him where your father lived, and the attacker proclaimed 'No, the other one!'. My father, always the coward, told him about tonight, but sent his quickest messenger to warn us"

Zed relaxed. "The palace is well guarded. We may sleep easy!"

Richard shook his head quickly. "My father's elite guard failed, and my father knows why! He sent his maid to the kitchen to get some bread. She was gone a full ten minutes, while the attacker broke in and spoke to my father. When she came back in, the man had gone. He asked her what had took so long, and she was so confused. She thought she had only been a minute. And the guard had neither seen or heard of this mysterious intruder"

Zed looked, perplexed. "And? What do you make of it?"

Richard looked him in the eye. "This attacker, intruder, whatever you may wish to call him. He can...control time".

Zed laughed. "You may be no wizard, but surely you know no spell can control time!"

Richard looked sadly at Zed, disappointed that his friend did not like his idea. "Do you know of any other ways our man could have gone in or out?"

"I know several" claimed Zed, arrogance heavy in his voice. Anyone who disagreed with Zed had better be prepared to be proven wrong. He launched into an explanation of several ways which it could be done: The guards could be taken out and have their memories altered later, or they could have been bribed or blackmailed, or even threatened. Or maybe he killed them and magically disguised his own soldiers as them, and the king was in the enemies hands as they spoke. The nursemaid could be lying so as not to be fired, she could be charmed, she could be stupid. Zed took a full 10 minutes fully exploring every possibility, and then asked his friend (condescendingly, of course) whether or not he had any more theories that Zed could disprove. However, he received no reply.

"Richard? Richard?" His friend was completely immobile, and soundless. He was like...a statue.

The noise of the party had died during Zed's speech, as had the jungle chorus. Everything was completely still, completely silent. The stars didn't twinkle, they were just frozen in the sky.

"Listen to your friend's counsel, boy"

Zed spun to the voice. An elderly man with a hooked nose and high cheek bones, mouth curled in a sneer. He wore deep black robes. In his hand there was a staff. An hourglass garnished the top. It was glowing, the stream of sand froze in falling. He came at Zed, staff raised high over his head. He brought it down hard, but Zed caught it and twisted the staff from his old hands.

Zed knew the staff was the source of the power to control time, so he tossed it over the railing. And then the old man became a blur, snatching the staff before it fell and bringing it down upon Zed's head. It hit him like a thunder bolt. Zed flew across the balcony, through the glass door. He staggered to his feet and threw a ball of flame, but the man blurred past as the flame shot through the doors.

Zed focused on the man, and tried to compact all the moisture in the room and outside into one space, radically dropping the temperature and freezing the spot in a matter of moments. The only problem was, the man wasn't there any more. The staff caught Zed in the back, and he tried to force the man back with a magic pulse, but he blurred out of the way, and the pulse caught the party guests.

For the first time, Zed saw the frozen party. They were all so happy looking, having a great time, oblivious to the fight around them. Some of the guests at the far end of the room looked surprised, as if the people near the doors had froze a split-second before they did.

The Man swung the staff into Zed's stomach, and when he buckled over, caught him in the face with his foot. Zed rolled back and concentrated. The energy from his mind flowed to his fingertips, and he released it like lightning. It arced through the air, straight for the man. He didn't move a muscle as the lightning hit him.

But then it didn't, it went straight through him. Zed froze, confused.

"What?"

Then man laughed a long, hallow laugh.

"One of my many tricks. I'm not really here. I'm last night. You see, I exist, right now, in the same place, but earlier. I'm not here. The lightning can't hit me, because it's only my persona that is here. My existence has gone back in time. I'm not here"

He disappeared. Zed jumped when he heard the voice behind him. "I'm here" he swung the staff into the back of Zed's knees, and he buckled. The man swung at Zed's head, but he grabbed the staff.

"Estructor!" he screamed, and the staff cracked, splintered, and disintegrated. That very second, the party jumped back to life. The music kick-started, the conversation flickered on. Zed rose and caught the man in the face with his elbow. The party gasped. Richard ran through the doors.

Zed grabbed the old man's arm.

"Richard! It's him, look at the staff, he's using it to control time. It's broken now"

The old man started yelling.

"You have to die! If you don't die, it will all fall apart! Reality will become weak, the circle of the black mage will take advantage! You must die! You must die!"

He drew a knife from inside his cloak, and slashed at Zed. The wizard ducked under the knife blow, and prepared a wizard's web, a paralytic hex.

"The world with you in it isn't worth living in" said the man, and he slit his own throat. Blood slid down his neck, and he fell to the floor.

Richard ran to his friend. "What just happened?"

"I don't know. But I know where to go to find out"

Zed ran from the room, Richard at his heels. They walked along a corridor, briskly.

"What are you doing?"

"He said circle of the black mage. I'm going to see them, see what's up"

"Where are they"

"Varrock"


	9. Erika:Stolen

Carter kicked out the wooden boards that covered the window, grabbed the remaining boards and started to climb. He kicked up with his feet and stretched out with his hands, grabbed the third story window ledge. He pulled his foot up onto the sill and stood up, reached the roof and pulled himself up.

"Erika!" he called. His girlfriend was climbing up behind him. He held out a hand for her, and she took it. Carter puller her up, and they both ran.

"What were those things?" Erika asked. They both leaped off the roof and onto the next one.

"What are those things, more like. They're not going to stop. And they're Stealers"

"Stealers?"

"Bad time" They dropped down a story, onto a wooden plank that bridged two houses. Erika turned her head as she fell, and she saw them. The Stealers. There were two of them, they were tall, heavily built, and they wore black robes with hoods that hid their faces. Gold bands strapped fastened the cloak to his limbs, so that it would not rustle.

They ran along the bridge, into a building with no doors. Carter took a sharp left up the staircase, Erika followed. Stony scenery blurred past her, she ran quickly, to the floor above. They entered a residential area, a floor with some blankets laying on the floor. A gang of thieves, backs against the wall, counting money and laughing, turned to look at them.

All parties froze for a moment.

"Cheskov?" said one. He was asking for an order. One, with a foreign face, stepped forward.

"Grab them" he said, in a heavy accent. Two of the gang advanced across the small room.

"Please" Erika said. "We have no time for this, just let us by"

Cheskov smiled. "We can have fun with her" One of the gang reached to grab her arm. Carter stepped in front of, and stared the older boy down.

"Whas the matter? Grinkov will be gentle to your little girl. She will have no cause to dislike what I can do" He started laughing. Carter swore, and punched him, hard in the nose. There was a sickening crack that made Erika turn away.

And she saw them, the Stealers, rushing up the stairs. As Carter brought his knee to meet a gang members jaw, Erika slipped up to him and grabbed Carter's arm and turned him around.

"Four, maybe five seconds" she said. The two sped away from the stairs, and Carter barged through the gang, clearing a path to the hall. Before his foot touched the first step, Cheskov made a move for him. Carter grabbed his arm, ducking as he pulled the gang member over his shoulder. Cheskov smashed into a wall, bones broke.

Erika stepped over him as she ran up down the hall. screams of pain emanating from the room behind her. Their was a strange, terrible, unrecognisable sound as death rebounded violently toward her. Carter came to a window, looked outside, and leaped.

Erika climbed up on the window ledge, and saw what Carter was jumping to. Normally, she might pause a moment to judge the jump, see if she could make it. But Carter had jumped, and she trusted him completely. She bent her knees, flexed her muscles, and leaped. She blurred through the air, rolling as she landed on the nearby roof.

* * *

><p>A gloved hand broke Shane's knuckles with a crunch, and he was swung into a wall. The hand clasped around his throat and pinned him to the wall, a few inches above the ground.<p>

"If you ever threaten me again" warned Markus. "I will squeeze until my fingers burst through your throat, snapping your arteries and blood vessels, until blood and whatever else seeps out of you in a river and I leave you here to die a slow and agonizing death, unable to scream. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yeah yeah" Shane gasped. "And..." he saw his friend Danny from over Markus's shoulder. He had a knife, and winked at Shane. With newfound confidence, the street boy continued. "And, I tell you what. I don't take orders from albino emo freaks who-"

Markus' foot snapped into the chest of Shane's friend, who dropped the knife. Danny doubled over, and Markus grabbed the back of his neck, and slammed with a violent crash into his friend. There was a funny sound as they collided, like pillows smacking of each other.

And then he saw her. She leaped from the three story window, soared through the air, and disappeared from his view as she landed on the building beside him. Markus stood there, stunned. A cloaked figure climbed onto the same window ledge, and it jumped as well. Markus gasped as the blood rushed to his head. He knew, he just knew, that there was something inhuman, unimaginable about this jump. To others, it looked like a jump, but Markus felt it in his gut: the laws of reality had just been cheated.

Space had been bent. As another, the same stature, same clothes, leaped, and again Markus felt the world fold in on itself. This figure had leaped only feet, but space had warped together, bridging the gaps. As it fell to the building beside him, it looked at him. He knew it knew he knew, and he knew it knew he knew it knew.

Markus gasped, and looked for a way up.

* * *

><p>Erika caught up to Carter and overtook him. This part of the city, all the houses were one or two stories. There was nowhere to hide-but plenty to run. And that's what she did, feeling the sun beat down on her as she pounded her legs off the stone. The level houses stretched for miles, all different shades of brown or cream, melting together like a sea of stone as she ran. Many of these houses had wooden bridges interconnecting them, like a network for the people who preferred the rooftops. These wooden planks shook and groaned in protest, but they held.<p>

She looked behind her, and saw that Carter was behind her, as were the Stealers, never far behind. She thought it might be wise to get down to street level, but there was no means, and she she didn't want to leap to hear death. Sweat poured down her face, and she wondered how long she could keep this up. Suddenly the houses gave away to a street, and she looked desperately around for another path, and found a wooden black to her left, connecting this building to another, and from there the houses stretched on again. It didn't look safe, but she didn't have time... She leaped.

It snapped as she landed, and she scrambled to her target building before it fell. The wooden bridge fell to the street, Carter couldn't continue. He broke right, finding another rout. The Stealers were closing in. Erika leaped to the drain pipe of a two story building, clasping it tightly with her hands and shimmying from side to side as she scaled.

As she climbed to the top, she saw one of the Stealers. It stood, quite still, on the roof, awaiting her. Erika jogged lightly to it, then shifted into a shock sprint to it's left. It didn't even react as she flew by, only; she didn't. She was a meter away, but somehow it gripped the back of her shirt and swung her around. It lifted her off her feet, spinning her, and she screamed and swung blows but then she was flying, flying through the air...

The ground was rushing up to meet her, Erika prepared to roll, knowing that even if she did this was going to be extremely painful. However, the glass hit her before she reached the ground, she slowed down considerably as she hit the first floor of the nearby building with a smack. She bounced off the floor before rolling into the wall.

She was winded. and had hit her head, lights danced between her eyes, so she got up slowly. There were thuds, grunts of pain: Carter. Erika stumbled to the window, cradling her head. Her boyfriend slammed into her. They rolled, and before Erika could open her eyes Carter was pulling her to her feet. Even with her eyes only half open, Erika could see his nose was broken.

"We have to run" he mumbled, and staggered to a nearby door. Erika surveyed her surroundings as an act of drunken instinct, there were bookcases, a desk, some sort of study. Just before Carter was in range, the door swung open, violently. The Stealer kicked it to the floor, the hinges snapped.

Carter went in with a sucker punch, but the Stealer didn't move. The fist arced over it's shoulder.

He made a noise of surprise, then quickly moved in with a left elbow, but the blow didn't come close. He punched and kicked again and again, missing every time, the Stealer didn't seem to be moving at all. It looked completely calm. Carter came in with an extremely forceful and deadly punch; but it swung inches from The Stealers' nose.

Carter fell of balance, and The Stealer kneed him in the stomach. The force of the blow sent Carter feet into the air, gloved hands grabbed him before he could even fall. The Stealer held him over it's head, flexed it's spine and threw him. Erika ducked, but Carter still slammed into her.

She hesitantly got up, but Carter didn't, by the way his ribs seemed to be jutting into the skin, Erika could tell they were broken. He was almost immobile, there was no running now. Erika rose, and jet kicked the Stealer, though her heel missed the face just by inches. The Stealer grabbed the foot and swung her. She flew through the air, until she slammed into the desk. There was an almighty crash as bone and desk met, and then all she knew was pain. She lay still by the shattered wood.

The Stealer knelt by the near-unconscious Carter, and produced a knife from inside it's cloak. It spin the blade in it's hand, gingerly, and began to make an incision. Erika took a sharp piece of wood, and sized up the distance between her arm and the Stealer's head. Erika never missed, not from this close, anyway.

The wood took flight, went straight for the head. It whisked through the air, whistling as it went. The jagged splinter aimed for the soft material of the cloak, it was going so fast the wood would probably snap once it hit the skull, making it all the more deadly.

It missed the head entirely, shattering into the wall.

The Stealer didn't even look up. It made the first cut.

* * *

><p>Markus shattered the wooden beams of the ceiling as the second Stealer strolled through the door. The Stealer operating on the boy rose, slowly, as Markus fell in front of it. It whisked the knife in it's hand, and stabbed. The palm of Markus' hand skimmed along the smooth blade face as he made a grab for the wrist. The Stealer let him hold it's wrist in a vice, uncaring.<p>

Markus reeled back his fist, but the Stealer was unperturbed. As the fist flew, The Stealer bent the area around him, warped the space. It understood that space was not an object, but a coalition of an infinite number of objects, that to touch just one could bend and warp a chain of others. It felt these chains, these links, these curves, and knew which ones would affect others under different pressures. However, Space cannot be changed, and the warp works only for seconds. It is only a perception, not a physical fact.

Markus didn't know any this, but he felt it and could counteract it. His fist flew unhindered into the Stealer's face. There was a crunch, and a snap, and the Stealer screamed an unholy scream before staggering back. Surprise ripped through the Stealer, it had not been hit in millenia. However, it came back quickly, blocking Markus's second fist and ducking under his third punch.

Markus had no idea what he was doing. The mad rooftop run had given him time to think, and he couldn't really answer why he was helping these two. They were being chased by these strange creatures, true, but what did that have to do with him? Nothing. So why help them? It went against his very nature.

The clothed being swung a savage foot, and Markus reeled backwards. Markus felt the space bend, but knew that he was staying in the same position. The Stealer growled as it's black boot came into the slightest of contacts with Markus' nose. It could not make sense of this strange foe.

Taking advantage of his foe's surprise, Makus jabbed at a Stealer repeatedly, not backing down for a second, relentlessly. The Stealer blocked with his own fists, but was forced to retreat. It came up against the desk, where it grasped some papers and tossed them, blinding Markus. He was slammed into the ground.

"Your sneaky" said Markus, rising to his feet. He feinted a punch, and when the Stealer moved to attack first, he ducked and spun, snatching up a chair.

"But I am too"

The chair slammed into the Stealer with such force it shattered. The Stealer flew through the air, Markus snatched up a piece of shattered wood and stabbed it in the neck. Deep blue blood seeped down the throat, and Markus turned to it'sfriend.

The Second Stealer had been amazed. Never had they med this much difficulty. It snarled and threw it's knife, and Markus caught it and whisked it around, so it lost none of it's momentum, and tossed it through the air. The Stealer again tried to bend space, but the blade somehow slashed through the curve, and the knife embedded itself inside the Stealer's skull. The Stealer screamed it's horrible scream, and burst into flames.

"That's what you do when you die?" Markus asked, aghast. The other had't...Hespun around. Where the other fallen Stealer had been, now only a pool of blue blood lay.

"Carter!" Erika shrieked.

Markus spun to the fallen boy, who's chest had been cut open. The Stealer, bloody hole in it's neck, was reaching inside. Markus started to run as an eerie blue light shone through the eyes and mouth of the victim. The Stealer looked into Markus' eyes as he dived for it. He slid along the floor, they were almost with his reach.

With a flash, they were both gone, Markus skidded through nothing.

There was a seconds of silence.

Erika started to cry.

* * *

><p>Minutes had gone by, the two remaining teenagers were still in the room. Markus slammed his fist into the wall, again, leaving a sensible dent. Erika had stopped crying, and sat on one of the remaining pieces of furniture. Markus kept trying to break the silence, but he had nothing to say. She did, though.<p>

"What were those things?" she asked.

Markus turned around, surprised. "You don't know?"

She shook her head.

"I don't. I just...felt it"

Erika looked up. "Felt what?"

"The...warp. They were altering space, bending reality. I could feel it"

"How?"

"I don't really know"

Erika rose.

"What's your name?"

"Markus"

"And, Markus. Are you human?"

He cocked his head, smiled slightly. "Human? I don't know. Kind of. Almost. I don't want to be"

"Why? You want to be one of them?"

"No!"

Erika walked to him. "You don't want to be human. Why?"

Markus punched the wall again. This time, his fist went through it.  
>"Because your cruel. Your sneaky, and your greedy, and you make the world a harsh place to live in. You take what you can, bleed people dry. It's sick. I don't want to be a part that"<p>

"That's only one face. There's so many faces we have. We can be kind" Erika pulled her hand gently to his hood, and pushed it down off his head.  
>"We can be beautiful. We can be compassionate"<p>

Markus reeled back. "No. Beauty hides the ugly. Kind hides the cruel. Compassion hides the hate. That's what's at your core. Hate"

"I don't hate" Erika growled.

Markus leaned back. "Yeah you do. You hate them. For taking him. They were cruel, and your going to be cruel to"

"We don't know, o.k.? What I'd do to them if I had the chance. Because I don't have the chance. And o.k., there's hate in the world. But you only add to it by acting the way you do. Your not helping. And I can be kind. Because I'm just going to walk away. And move on with my life. I can't save him. He's gone"

"He doesn't have to be. I know someone who may know where he is"

"Who!"

"Before I tell you, promise me something"

"What! Come on, no games, just"

"This is not a game, Erika"

"How did you-"

"Promise me, that when you find him, you'll let me help. Let me be there, when you see the ones who killed him. Let me see you lie. Let me see you hate"

"You say there's no good in the world, no compassion. And here you are, looking for the hate, ignoring the good"

"Is that a promise?"

"Yeah. Now who can help me?"

"I'm going there myself, right now. I'll show you. I'll show you Gypsy Aeris"


End file.
